abrogation
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of abrogation
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin abrogātiōn-, stem of abrogātiō “a repeal,” equivalent to abrogāt(us), past participle of abrogāre “to repeal” + -iō -ion ( def. ); abrogate ( def. )
Explanation
Abrogation is the act of canceling, nullifying, or repealing something, almost always in an official or legal context. To abrogate something is to repeal or cancel it, so abrogation is the act of repealing or canceling. This is mainly a legal term. Abrogation occurs whenever an old law or rule is abolished, like when slavery was outlawed. The abrogation of a lease means it is no longer valid and binding. The annulment of a marriage — which legally wipes out the marriage, as if it never happened — is also a type of abrogation.
Vocabulary lists containing abrogation
The Crucible
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"Why I Wrote The Crucible"
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Bartleby the Scrivener
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Westside residents who lost everything try to recall the mayor for her supposed abrogation of duty.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2025
Earlier this month, assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the abrogation.
From BBC • Oct. 23, 2024
In the new ruling, the judges said that Oklahoma’s 1910 public nuisance law typically referred to an abrogation of a public right like access to roads or clean water or air.
From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2021
“There is no reason the law should analyze an abrogation of the right to exclude in one manner if it extends for 365 days, but in an entirely different manner if it lasts for 364.”
From Washington Post • Jun. 23, 2021
In 1797, June 17th, a motion was placed before the Council of Five Hundred, demanding liberty of worship, the suppression of the oath, and the abrogation of the laws of deportation.
From The War Upon Religion Being an Account of the Rise and Progress of Anti-christianism in Europe by Cunningham, Francis A. (Francis Aloysius)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
